Golf is a game in which a golf ball is advanced around a preset course using a set of specially-designed clubs. Each club within the set is used for a particular type of shot that may be encountered during a given round of golf. Because no two rounds of golf are exactly the same, even when played on the same course, a golfer will bring a full set of clubs in order to be prepared for any shot that may arise. Then, as a round of golf is played, the golfer chooses from among the clubs in preparation for each shot.
As a group, the typical set of golf clubs can be quite cumbersome and somewhat heavy. Most golfers place their clubs in specially designed bags that, while not reducing club weight, do make the clubs somewhat easier to manage. Once collected into a golf club bag, the clubs are typically either loaded onto a car-like golf cart, placed onto a manual pushcart, or carried by a caddie.
In both tournament and non-tournament play, golfers who employ a caddie enjoy significant advantages not enjoyed by other golfers. One of the most important advantages is the ability to select an appropriate golf club while standing at the exact location of a given shot. Because a caddie carries a golfer's entire set of clubs, the golfer may wait to choose a club until he is directly next to his ball, thus eliminating the need to guess which club is appropriate.
Conversely, since carts are not allowed at all points on a golf course, golfers who use golf carts are required at times to make their golf club selection while only knowing the approximate location of their golf ball. Without knowing the exact nature of a given shot, it is difficult for a golfer to know exactly which club is most appropriate. Therefore, golfers often select and carry several clubs to the site where the golf ball is located. The golfer usually minimizes the number of clubs carried based on assumptions about the current lay of the golf ball. Depending upon the validity of these assumptions, the golfer may or may not be equipped to properly execute the golf shot. When the golfer has not correctly predetermined the correct golf club requirement, he must either walk back to the cart, which may be far away, or improvise with the clubs at hand. Commonly, the result is one or more missed shots and a higher-than-necessary golf score.
Some areas of a golf course are particularly difficult to assess from a distance. The area surrounding the greens, for example, is a particularly difficult area to read. This region requires a golfer to chose from among, and correctly execute, a variety of shots. Around the greens, shots commonly include putting, chipping, pitching, bump and run, and sand bunker exits. Since these shots are executed with different clubs, the variety of possible shots, coupled with uncertainty about golf ball location, makes selecting the appropriate club for near-the-green shots very difficult. For golfers who keep their equipment on a cart located some distance from their golf ball, shooting around a green can be unnecessarily frustrating.
Bringing a loose collection of clubs to the location of a given shot may also be risky. A golfer often lays the extra, non-used clubs on the ground while executing a shot. With this method, the clubs may be stepped on, the club grips may become contaminated with dirt and moisture, and stray clubs may even be left behind.
Numerous prior art devices have been proposed for carrying and supporting golf clubs. Typical of the prior art devices is the golf club carrier and support disclosed by White et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,507). White discloses a club carrier that is stored on the rim of a golf bag but requires that the golf club be inserted and removed from the device each time the device is used. Atalay (U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,539) discloses a portable and collapsible carrier that can be stored within a golf bag. The golf clubs are secured to the carrier along with golf balls and golf tees.
Thus, what is needed is a golf club support and carrying device that includes the advantages of the known devices, while addressing the shortcomings they exhibit. The device should allow a golfer to bring several clubs conveniently to the location of a given golf shot, while ensuring their safe retrieval after the shot. The carrier should also prevent the club heads from striking each other during transit. The device should also keep the club heads off the ground while the device is resting on the ground. The device should also ensure that the golf club grips are protected from damage or contamination from moisture. The device should also allow temporary attachment of the apparatus to a golf bag or golf cart.